In My Arms
by outsidersfanfic67
Summary: Moving here was a challenge, I agree. But having Pony with mono and a monster storm come in to kill hundreds of people, including the ones you love, it's not a challenge anymore. It's a plead for help.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey y'all! On the road! I decided to write this short little one about Hurricane Camille in New Orleans, LA. I experienced some of the effects of Hurricane Katrina when I was little. It devastated my family, friends, and people I didn't even know. It's gonna be on Hurricane Camille from 1969, but it will have the effects of Hurricane Katrina from 2005. I know some grammar's off and spelling, but it's because of Soda's POV. Read, review, and Stay Gold! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

Moving out here was hard, I had to admit. New Orleans was ten times hotter than Tulsa. I hated it out here. After Dally and Johnny died, Ponyboy took it awful rough. Darry had to get a job transfer for engineering now, so we all moved out here. I didn't want to leave Steve and Two-Bit. They were my buddys. Really. But I took it and moved out here; fresh new start. That didn't happen. I worked at a DX down from Ninth Ward, right around the block where our new house was. Ponyboy hasn't fit in all that much, especially after Darry isn't home at all. We really only get to see him on Saturday nights and Sunday. No girls liked me; I was a greaser here. But trust me, they were a couple greasers here I could slug sometimes when they beefed me. Said I was trashyier than they were, said I spelled things wrong, said I had the worst ways of putting words together. I felt stupid around them. But if I did stay in school, I don't think it would've helped.

Pony's been awful sick lately. Doctor kept coming over and saying it was mono at worst. I didn't believe him. I took care of him until Pony thought he could back to school when I went to work, like today. He looked awful white this morning though. I was now walking home from work. I actually saw Darry's truck in the driveway. I was surprised.

"Hey, Ponyboy!" I screamed, running into the house. No one was in the living room or kitchen. There was no answer. I laughed and knocked on the bathroom door. It was open, but no one was in it. I carefully went into me and Ponyboy's bedroom. He was laying in bed, sleeping, I think, with that yellow thermometer in his mouth. Darry was sitting next to the edge of the bed.

"Hush, So."

"Okay, bunch of questions. Okay, one, why are you home early?"

"Ponyboy called work today. Said he really didn't feel well."

"Hey, Pone," I quietly kneeled down next to him. He was sweating. His eyes opened a little.

"Hi, Soda."

"You feelin' sick?" He nodded. I could tell his throat hurt.

"Do you want me to put a big red nose and a rainbow wig and tickle ya to death? Ya like that?" He smiled. I like it when he smiled. He was finally starting to look like Mom. She had those eyes and smile he did. He shook his head.

"Ya hungry?"

"I am. But I think I can't hold it down."

"What if I just made you a little bit of soup?"

"Are ya gonna color it?"

"It depends. Do you want it colored?"

"Blue."

"Ok, blue mushroom soup comin' right up. Go to sleep, hon," I grabbed Darry out of the room and closed the door behind us.

"I'm getting worried, Darry," We made our way into the kitchen as he took a stool at the counter.

"Now you're getting worried? I've been worried for almost three years ever since they died."

"I know… But I mean about Pony. He keeps getting sick."

"It's mono. Mono lasts for months, maybe even years." I hated how Darry made me think I was stupid. I was stupid.

"I guess." He got up and turned on the television set that was set up on the counter.

"Please don't tell me you're putting on the dumb news," I said. I started digging in the fridge to get mushrooms.

"I gotta. They said there was gonna be a hurricane warning. Category four."

"Hurricane?"

"Really, Soda?"

"I'm serious. What's a hurricane? I forgot."

"We've lived here for a year and you- never mind. A hurricane is when wind stirs up water by Africa. It travels wherever, usually where there's warm water. It has winds, uh, some flooding sometimes, and just destruction."

"Oh yeah. Isn't the Gulf of Mexico warm?"

"Yes, Soda. That's why they're sayin' it's comin' here," He said. I wanted to hurt him. He's much bigger and taller though. So I just rolled my eyes and went on rinsing mushrooms.

"Hurricane Camille is now ranked a Category five," I looked up from the sink and stared at the man on TV. Category five? Seemed a big deal.

"Again: Category five. Louisiana government has ordered as many people as possible to evacuate the city of New Orleans. Again: evacuate. Extreme weather will be coming through," He said. I looked at Darry and stopped the water.

"Extreme weather is coming through in less than twenty-four hours," The man said.

"Soda, we better start packing."

"No way, Darry! We've survived twisters and tornados! I ain't leaving cause of some dumb hurricane."

"Soda, we gotta. If we stay, not only will you and I get hurt, but Ponyboy here will probably get killed," He snapped.

"Darry, it's not gonna be that bad."

"Yeah it is, Soda. It's a category five. Less than twenty-four hours, it'll be windy and flooding here. We are leaving."

"We'll be fine, Darry. Pone will be fine."

"He ain't fine now, he'll be much worse if we stay."

"No he won't. He'll get through it."

"Sodapop, it's not your decision at all. It's mine as the guardian and your brother and I'm saying this; _we are leaving_. End of story. Make the soup and get your stuff together." He stood up, turned off the TV, and walked into his bedroom. I squeezed my fingers again the blade of the switchblade on the counter. I hated Darry right now. He used to favor me, but he was strict. Pain went through my hand. I saw blood leaking out of my hand, flooding the counter. Is that what it was gonna be like tomorrow?

He looked really pale. I hated when he did. Like a pillow with grey green eyes. He looked helpless. Like he could die right now. He couldn't do anything about it. Eyes were closed. Sweat on his face.

"We're evacuating?" He asked me hoarsely. I nodded and went on stroking his hair.

"But I don't want to leave."

"I know, little man. But we gotta. Darry ain't gonna let us stay."

"Why can't we?"

"Because you're sick."

"Because of me?"

"Yeah."

"Can you get Darry for me?" I nodded and went into the living room where Darry was packing frames.

"What?" He straightened up. He was tall like Dad.

"Ponyboy wants to see ya," I said. He nodded, ordered me to put the rest of the frames in boxes and went into our room. I looked at him in that tank top and jeans. Would I look that tuff? Naw, I liked the way I looked with my greasy hair and face. Looked more like Mom like that. I waited a couple minutes after packing the frames and all until he came out.

"Help me pack a couple more boxes," He said. I raised one eyebrow, a trick I learned from Two-Bit. Glory, I missed that guy.

"Why?"

"We're staying, but I still want the stuff in the attic just in case," He said, wiping his hands on his pants. I got off the couch and grabbed the box of frames.

"In case of what?"

"Flooding, So," Darry answered, opening the attic door. I got up the stairs and put the box by the chest that had all of our old toys in it.

"Ok."

"Did you put him up to it?" He asked when I came back down. I shook my head.

"No! He asked why and all," I said, heading into the kitchen.

"Why what?"

"Why we were leaving," I looked around for stuff to pack.

"I don't get you two," He said, handing me a moving box.

"I don't get you," I said, taking it. He lowered his eyes at me handed me a vase.

"Back up the vases. Get to bed after that. We gotta watch out tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. All rights go to S.E. Hinton. **

I wasn't feeling too hot myself when I woke up. Ponyboy was lying in bed, sweating. I hated to see him sick like that. I remember when Darry had it when he was 16. He didn't go to school for months. He was always sick and tired and in bed. I looked up at the ceiling. It was cool how the dots formed something. Like words or a picture. I tried making a connection when I heard running water. It was awful windy out; it howling in my ears. That running water wouldn't stop. It was constant. Non-stop, annoying. I looked at Pony. He gave me a look that said make it stop. I nodded and ruffled up his hair. I threw off the covers and I put my feet on the floor. The floor?! It wasn't there. All there was was water to my shin high. I widened my eyes and quickly trudged through water and grabbed some clothes.

"Ponyboy! Wake up!" I hissed, throwing him a change of clothes. He sat up weakly and looked at me strangely. I looked at the alarm clock; 8:49am.

"Look at the floor!" He gazed down at it and gasped.

"Put on those clothes."

"But Soda-"

"Now!" I didn't want to yell at him, but I had to. No buts, no I want, I had to get him out of here. I wished we listened to Darry, I wish we left. I ran as fast I could with water rising. That wind was loud as heck.

"Darry!" I hollered over the wind.

"Soda!" It was coming from the attic. I lifted my knee up high as I could until I got to the attic.

"Darry!"

"Soda, I'm in the attic!"

"Me and Pony are down here!"

"I know!"

"Well, what do you want us to do?!"

"Get 2 changes of clothes with socks and sweatshirts! And then make Pony come up here!"

"Okay!" The wind was screaming now. I went back to the bedroom and got the clothes, handed them to Pony, and then pushed him to the attic stairs.

"The attic?!"

"Yeah. Darry's up there!" Relief came across his pale face.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know. Darry wants you to go up there. Go!" The front door swung open and even more water and wind came through. My ears hurt so bad. The water was rising quickly. Raindrops sprinkled our faces, pelting. They hurt awful bad. Pony had to scream. His voice was gone half way through the scream. I couldn't help but hug him. I wanted Mom and Dad, I wanted Mom and Dad, I wanted Mom and Dad! I pushed Ponyboy on the stairs. The rain was penetrating my face.

"GO!" I hollered. He held his old blanket he's had ever since he was a baby. That thing was a rag now and he never used it unless something like this. He nodded and went up the stairs, quickly. Water increased up to my knees now.

"DARRY!"

"What?!"

"What do you want me to do?!"

"Get the bags of groceries on the counter!" I looked at the countertop and saw the 5 or 6 bags of groceries. I grabbed 3 and got up to the attic, dropped them off, and got the other 3. On my way to the attic, I stepped on something. Pain shot through my foot, something cut it deep. Blood rose to the surface of the water. Glory, it hurt. I tried as fast as I could to get up to the attic. Darry looked tired with those big bags around his eyes. But he looked like he could control this situation. Ponyboy looked so… feeble. He was shaking, scared, on the verge of tears with that blanket in his hands. He held onto Darry's chest and shoulder as Darry calmed him. He grabbed a bag and looked inside it. My foot hurt so bad, I was about to start bawlin'. I held it up in the air to inspect it. A piece of glass cut it. I thought we put away all tho- The picture of Mom and Dad. That was the only one we had that wasn't in Oklahoma! I looked down at the water. The picture was sinking to the bottom. I began bawling. I couldn't get it. My foot was bleeding. Pony certainly couldn't. Darry….

"Darry. Can you get that picture of Mom and Dad?" I asked over the wind. He looked at the water and widened his eyes.

"Hold on, Ponyboy. Soda, watch 'im," Darry started down the steps and looked around in the water. Ponyboy grabbed hold of me, hiding his face in my shirt. Darry dunked himself in the water. Please find it, please find it. Darry came back up seconds later, waving the soggy, smeared picture like a flag. Ponyboy looked up and widened his eyes. He was still the baby of the family. Even at 16, he was a little hopeless when we moved here since Johnny and Dallas died. He always told me about the sunsets, this book with some wind, and the movie with Paul Newman he saw a couple years back. I knew at school it couldn't be easy, so I went along with it. I didn't ignore him, but I couldn't keep track of everything. It was hard. He has quite a rep for bein' basically silent now.

"I got it!" He came up the stairs and handed me the picture. The ink was smeared, but you could still make out their faces.

"You did?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yeah, I did, Colt," Darry said. Pain shot up my foot.

"EY! Darry, look at this," I showed him my foot where the glass broke through y sock and skin. He sucked in his teeth.

"That's pretty deep, So," He said. I looked down at the water. It rose even higher.

"I know. What am I gonna do?"

"Hold up. Pony, hand me that first-aid kit," I was glad that if we didn't evacuate, that Darry remembered to bring this kind of stuff.

"Ok. Here, Soda. Wrap it up," He handed me some tan clothe bandage and took out that yellow thermometer.

"Put that under your tongue," The wind wasn't as strong. Wasn't as mean. I thought Sandy as the wind… You'd want it here sometimes, but when it got rallied up, you wanted it go away forever. Ponyboy took the glass and put it under his tongue. Rain began to hit his face from downstairs. The water was increasing. It was brown water too.

I claded my foot in only that and tried not to think about Mom and Dad or Johnny and Dally or missing Two-Bit or Steve. I hated this town, the greasers here, the culture wasn't my style. I hate the weather now.

"What is it, Darry?" I asked when he took it out from Pony's tongue. He put up one finger for me to wait a minute and I looked at the boxes around here. Ponyboy was just falling asleep, his head drooping and drooping down to his shoulder.

"102.1."

"Are you serious, Darry?!"

"Dead… PONYBOY!"


End file.
